Year in review: Royals enjoy first winning season since 2003

KC's 83-79 record comes with a cost

Kansas City Royals' Eric Hosmer, left, and Alex Gordon, right, rub shaving creme on Justin Maxwell after Maxwell hit a grand slam during the 10th inning to win a baseball game against the Texas Rangers.

The Kansas City Royals aren’t exactly known for winning seasons. So when it happens — about once every 10 years — it’s really kind of remarkable.

No, the Royals didn’t make the playoffs this year, but their surge to an 86-76 record make them The Topeka Capital-Journal’s No. 8 sports story of 2013. The last time the Royals posted a winning season was 2003 when they went 83-79. So perhaps there was reason to celebrate.

“In a small way, I feel like we’ve won the World Series,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said at the end of the season.

Sure, those comments were mocked, but this year had drama right from the start as the Royals saw an opportunity to win now and traded prospect Wil Myers to Tampa Bay for James Shields and Wade Davis.

After a decent April, the Royals collapsed in May. The team’s two hitting coaches were fired, and Hall of Famer George Brett put on a Royals uniform again and became interim batting coach.

“I just got really frustrated with the way they were swinging the bats,” Brett said. “And when they told me they were making a move, and they wanted me to come and see if I could do it, I said, ‘I don’t know if I can be a good hitting coach, but I’ll try.’ ”

The team responded immediately by going 13-5 with Brett in the dugout. Brett’s tenure initially was to last only a month. He stayed on for two. Brett also was a hit with fans, many of whom had never seen him in a Royals uniform. The Royals offense wasn’t actually much better with Brett. However, Eric Hosmer returned to form and Mike Moustakas heated up.

The Royals also climbed out of the cellar, and Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez and Greg Holland were selected to the All-Star Game. Perez got a hit and scored a run. He also caught Yankees’ closer Mariano Rivera’s last All-Star outing. But the image of Perez walking off the field with his arm around the future Hall of Famer was the highlight of a special night.

“It was the best thing,” Perez said. “I will never forget it in my life.”

After the All-Star break, the Royals went 43-27 behind the arms of Shields, Ervin Santana, Jeremy Guthrie and Bruce Chen. But as the 2014 season nears, the team already has undergone a face-lift, and more changes could be coming.

While Moore and manager Ned Yost both received contract extensions, it is unlikely Santana or Chen will be back. The Royals signed free agent left-hander Jason Vargas to presumably take Santana’s spot in the rotation, and Luke Hochevar will get another crack as a starter after a successful season in the bullpen. Youngsters Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura could also be in the mix, as could veteran Davis.

The Royals also acquired outfielder Norichika Aoki to bat leadoff, and after coming up empty on re-signing Carlos Beltran, they signed veteran infielder Omar Infante to plug the gaping hole at second base. Additional moves are possible, but the team’s projected payroll for next season is already above $90 million. And that might signify the biggest change of all.